Yesterday, we took advantage of a break in the atmospheric river to hike to three waterfalls in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. We started at the spacious Sky Country Trailhead parking lot at 8:45 am. (see the WTA Sky Country listing to use the Google map for directions.) The lot was filling up fast, as it was a rare opportunity to witness significant water flow at these smaller waterfalls: Coal Creek Falls, Far Country Falls, and Doughty Falls.
We started hiking south on the Nike Horse Trail, then west on the Cave Hole Trail, and south again to Coal Creek Falls, which was a cascading torrent of water. And loud. After a few photos, we continued south to the Quarry Trail, which descends about 250 feet to the Indian Trail. We headed southwest on the Indian Trail to Far Country Falls, which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful of the three, given its structure and location. The twin falls plummet into a narrow, fern-covered gorge with better lighting than the more secluded Coal Creek Falls. The narrow trail takes you close to the rushing waters, and the place feels enchantingly magical.
From there, we hiked east on the Shy Bear Trail to the Deceiver Trail, which descends to Doughty Falls. Hiking counter-clockwise, we now had the morning sun shining right in our eyes. Perhaps a clockwise loop would have been better? Doughty Falls was flowing strongly but more silently than the other two. I had last been here in late March a couple of years ago, and the flow was merely a trickle. We paused for a snack and then headed east to reconnect with the Shy Bear Trail at Shy Bear Pass. We nearly missed that trail connector and briefly headed up the trail to Wilderness Peak before course correcting. Since this area of the park is interwoven with many trails, I do recommend a map or a GPS phone app to track your route. I used GAIA GPS and found it very useful.
It was a beautiful route with the morning sun shimmering through the woodland on a quiet day without wind. Most of the trails were well-drained and far less muddy than I had expected. The woodland paths were busy with many trail runners, dog walkers, and older hiking groups, like ours. At just over 7 miles, I found our loop a relaxing forested route with a cornucopia of visual textures and a memorable trio of intimate waterfalls.
I have attached links to two of several spherical panoramas I took of the falls a couple of years ago. For the most immersive viewing, navigate to the menu bar in the upper right of the image and click ‘Toggle fullscreen.’
Comments
FMerkel on Sky Country, Coal Creek Falls, Nike Horse Trail, Quarry, Shy Bear, Deceiver, Far Country
Well said old mole. It turned out to be a spectacular day. Nothing like being cooped up during multiple consecutive AR's to make you appreciate some sun and being outdoors with friends.
Posted by:
FMerkel on Dec 15, 2025 06:20 AM